Learning new vocabulary, both in the mother tongue and in a foreign language, may seem boring for students and complicated for the teacher. However, there are ways to help students acquire new vocabulary quickly in the classroom, and it is best to try various ways to find out which method works best.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Whole Class and Student Groups
Step 1. Introduce the topic indirectly
You can do this through a story, a situation or an object.
Step 2. Push students to consider the topic
Ask the students a few questions.
Step 3. Get the words spelled out
Have them repeat and write the words on the board.
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The correction should be done at the same time, but only by the students. If necessary, then you can intervene, but only when you notice that no student will.
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Step 4. Say the words three times
Step 5. Let the whole class speak the word
Step 6. Divide the class in two
Divide the class into groups A and B.
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Group A repeats; group B must remain silent.
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Group B repeats; group A must remain silent.
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Step 7. Ask random students to repeat the words individually
Step 8. Explain the meaning of the words
Step 9. Give a time limit for students to write the words in the notebook
The time limit is important to help them remember quickly.
Step 10. Practice
You can have words memorized with examples or as you like.
Method 2 of 2: Use Questions and Suggestions
Step 1. Introduce the vocabulary
Step 2. Stimulate the need to learn the new word through simple questions
For example ask "What is this?", "Do you know what this word means?".
Step 3. Enter the word in an example sentence
Step 4. Isolate it for pronunciation
Step 5. Have the students repeat the example sentence
Step 6. Test students' understanding and use of the new word
Offer suggestions (questions, context) for students to answer.
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Teacher: "How did the man look at me? He looked at me suspiciously."
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Teacher: "I hear noises in the classroom. But I don't understand who is making them. I think they come from there. (Points) How do I look?"
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Step 7. Check students' understanding and use of the word
Get students to give their examples. The teacher helps students to provide context, if necessary.
Step 8. Write sentences using the new word or words to further clarify for the whole class
Have students write sentences too.
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Write the two best and clearest sentences on the board.
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Have students read those sentences and then ask them to copy them into their notebooks.
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Step 9. Repeat the concept with new words
It can be rewarding to have everyone's sentences written on the board at the end as a reward for their work.
Advice
- Leave room for the students during the lesson. Get them to talk too, letting them say everything they know about the subject.
- Always be ready to ask students what they think.
- Don't demoralize students in class; they will be demotivated and will probably avoid asking you questions.
- If you are learning another language, establish the rule that in class it is not allowed to communicate in any language, apart from a foreign one.
- When teaching new vocabulary to students, speak freely about any term or phrase with them.
